


A Glimpse into Time

by chddug



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:01:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28232115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chddug/pseuds/chddug
Summary: The night after Thanos and his army were defeated for the second time, TVA agent Loki dropped in New Asgard as part of a mission trip and put a drunk tearful Thor to bed.
Relationships: Loki/Thor (Marvel)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

New Asgard, Earth, 2023

The night was chill and starless, Thor observed, as he headed towards his own little cottage inthe northern village that his people now call home. There was no sound in the village. All is at rest, except for the yellow light seeping from a few awake windows. Was it because of agitation or bitterness that they could not sleep? Thor contemplated.

He would not dare think that they were happy. It had been a long day. In that long day Thanos had been destroyed, and his people had fought gallantly. There were no hesitation from them when the planet that offered them sanctuary was in need of protection. Regardless of the unfortunate lies that his father weaved, he laughed inwardly, they are still the good, brave, golden Asgardians that he grew up with. A few, of the not many that survived the Statesman, were killed. More were injured. Still, no one spoke a bitter word about the dreadful misfortunes that fate slammed on them, the violence and deceit from the royal family throughout the last millennium, and his own indulgence and neglect in the last five years. They waited for him to gather everyone and speak some words — the usual thank you and “For Asgard!” that was said after every battle — before tending to the dead. Then bodies were put on boats and arrows were shot. Thor thought of Frigga’s funeral as sparkles rose to the night sky. Of course his mother’s departure was more delicate and grand, but there was a similar mood —determination of saying a formal goodbye, and underneath all the grief and loss, a hope that was hard to understand but still plain to see.

 _What hope is there for me?_ Thor wondered as he walked past a hooded fisherman at the dock. It was Theodric, he noticed, a fine warrior from his father’s guard. He vaguely remembered how exhilarated the young man was when the latter was selected in Odin’s patrol: a great honor it was for anyone on Asgard. And now that young man was cleaning fishing nets from his small boat, hoping for a good day at the sea after sunrise.

“The sun will shine on us again, brother.” Thor remembered Loki’s face — uncommonly sincere when his brother said those words — and thought that such luxury had never been given to him and Loki. The little trickster was always so abruptly taken from him, and there was never time to say goodbye. “He’s always left in a cold dark place,” the thought came to his mind, and he felt a cold knife piercing deeply into his heart. Would Loki be glad for his revenge? Thor had no idea. What would the victory mean any way? It was a hard-won victory that brought back half of the population in the universe, but no one from the Statesman came back. No reuniting parents and children, sisters and brothers. No returning warriors and sorcerers of old. New Asgard remained a small fishing village out of time.

Thor stopped in front of the wooden door that led to his rooms, taking a deep breath as he raised a hand to turn the knob. The unlocked door opened. With a squeak that echoed slightly, the dark emptiness, that had always been there when Korg and Meek were not around, was revealed to him. Second hand furnitures from Fretex stuffed the room. An old copy of _Poetic Edda_ opened at the page of _Lokasenna_ lay on the shelf. Korg’s headphone was left forgotten on the couch.

Cable was still not fixed. As he put the remote control down with his recent clumsiness, he knocked over a small trinket that hit the floor with a clang. Thor bent to pick it up. It was a silver adornment gifted to him by a little girl when he went to fetch supplies one day. Her Vanir mother was encouraging and smiling in the distance while she bashfully shoved it into his hands.

Hogun used to wear something like this all the time, Thor remembered. Some time into his adolescence, the Vanir warrior had been a constant companion on the countless trips and battles that befell those years. He had fought valiantly each time but spoken very little. Among his few words, he would always ask, after every victory and with expectation in his eyes, “what next?”

“What next?” Thor echoed Hogun’s voice in his head. He looked around the room aimlessly for an answer, but the room refused to reply. For the first time in a thousand years, he had no path. There were no battles to win, no parents to please, and…and no more mischief to settle. Even no more vengeance. On the night where hugs were shared and tears were shed everywhere else in the world, he was left out. Solitude and hollowness surrounded him.

“What next?” He whispered. There were still bottles of beer in front of the TV. The ice had melted and the water had dried out, leaving stains on the inside of the bowl. He picked up one bottle; it was not cold anymore. “All right,” he mumbled, starting to rifle the room to gather other unfinished bottles that turned out to be a substantial pile, “time to finish them up.”

 _Tomorrow I’ll think of something_ , he thought. _Maybe a raven will show up. Maybe a manifest dream will occur in my sleep. Maybe I’ll need to sort out some chaos caused by Lo…NO! NO! NO! STOP THINKING THAT, THOR!_ He sat down on the floor with a thud. _I’ll think of something._ Laying the back of his head against the couch, Thor gulped down another bottle of wine.

If it were two years ago he would drown himself in alcohol and cry over the folks and whatnots from his youth. Every moment, every trifle seemed precious now. In those golden days he was rarely lonely. Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun were always around. Their raucous group never stopped talking about feats and adventures, and was always trying to sneak out of the sight of Heimdall, who despite his scolding always kept them safe. He remembered how Odin’s eye landed on him with approval, how Frigga’s garden eased his pain, and that everywhere he went people’s cheers followed.

And he remembered achingly, the presence of the one that he always thought the world of. He would laugh in tears, thinking of the time when Loki cut off Sif’s hair out of jealousy. He felt melancholy nostalgia reminiscing about the many times chasing after his brother while the mischief maker hid behind Frigga’s dress. Odin would chastise them and send them both to their rooms, but he would fetch them to get breakfast the next morning, everyone talking and laughing all the same. Of course Loki could be exasperating. For example, under some of the most unsettling circumstances the little trickster turned into Steve Rogers only to make fun of him. The memories made Thor chuckle with a sharp pain in the chest.

Even ten years ago he was ignorantly happy. Ten short years, fleeting in the eyes of Asgardians, had changed everything. _“This day, the next, a hundred years, it’s nothing. It’s a heartbeat. You’ll never be ready.” You were right,_ he thought, _I couldn’t. I could never be when that person is you._ How could this be? If it were two years ago he would curse the treacherousness of fate and lose himself in desperate rage. But not anymore. He understood now that the past is not retrievable, at least not for him. And it does not do to dwell on memories.

It does not do to dwell on memories after tonight.

“What would you do, brother?” He smiled sadly, dropping a bottle in an already large cluster of empty containers before reaching for the next one, “you would thrive at the worst places.”

“Thank you,” a deep, silky voice became audible from across the room, “I’ll take that as compliment.” And soon, a figure emerged from the darkness. It was a tall, dark haired man, dressed in a short sleeved shirt with red letters that Thor could not recognize in the dark.

“You look different this time,” Thor remarked. _He looked younger than the last time he was alive_ , _although_ _not younger than most times he visited my dreams._ N _ot tamed in wildness, but less pained._

“Well, I do love to give surprises,” the figure answered, “but I must say that you did a better job at surprise this time.” Thor could see his lips curve as he moved closer, “you are more displeasing to the eye than most Thor’s I have met.”

“It is not the first time you said that anyway,” Thor chuckled, patting on his round beer belly lightly.“Stay longer this time, at least,” he said softly.

“I’ll see what I can do,” the visitor replied, sweeping away the surrounding bottles with distaste before sitting down beside him. Thor could now see that it said “TVA” on his shirt. “Honestly, you should drink less of this Midgard junk and eat more salad.”

“What’s funny is that Mom said the same thing to me today,” smiled Thor sheepishly towards the newcomer.

“Because I got her good senses, and you,” the other one taunted, “got the old fool’s recklessness.”

Thor laughed, heartily for the first time in a long time, while he tapped cordially on the visitor’s shoulder. “No, brother, you don’t call anyone reckless!”

“No?” Loki retorted, “then who busted into Thrym’s wedding like a complete idiot? Who punched his way into Utgard and broke the truce despite my telling him that it was madness?”

“I did,” Thor answered. He fell silent after that. The room became quiet again, and reed warblers chattered in the distance. Loki seemed surprised at his sudden confession. Lips pursed, he waited for Thor to continue.

“Loki,” the larger guy finally said, “I would rather we never went on that trip.” Green eyes stared into his intently. “I’d rather you never found out the truth that way,” he spoke with a breaking voice, “I’d be there with you when you find out and tell you that I love you.”

A long silence.

“I…” damp green eyes averted to the window, “I’m surprised, brother. Ahem. You really managed to impress me today.”

“I meant what I said,” Thor insisted. His hand moved and rested on the back of Loki’s neck like the old days. “I wish I had the courage to say that before you…went on a different path.” He felt an electronic device on the other’s skin, and judged by his fingertips it was not dissimilar to the zapping device he experienced on Sakaar. “Even father managed to say….” ZING! Electronic currents ran through both of their spines.

“Don’t go yet!” Thor screamed.

But Loki was still here, slighting panting from the shock. “You oaf! You might find a way to kill us both before TVA does!”

“Loki, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…NO!” Thor jumped onto his feet with his sudden gain of consciousness, fists tightly clenched in front of his body and steps dancing around the room. _I AM AWAKE! “_ THIS ISN’T A DREAM!” Laughter bursted out of his chubby face, “You are alive! You came back!”

Loki stayed still. Thor re-situated himself beside his long lost brother, with trembling hands cupped Loki’s face and gently stroke Loki’s cheeks with his thumbs. He could touch the white, soft skin with his hands. He could feel the body temperature, lower than that of other Adgardians but still warmer than the evening air. His brother was there, solid and alive within his touch…until Loki turned his hands away. “No, I’m afraid not,” His brother said, “no resurrection this time.”

 _Oh._ Thor retracted his hands, his eyes dimmed, t _hat explained the difference._ “So the stories we heard as children, the traveling rabbit and whatnot,” he chuckled, “those are true, then.”

“Very much so,” he heard his brother say, “I work for an interstellar agency that monitors the multi-verse and keeps all timelines in check. A hell lot happened here today, so I was sent.”

_Oh._

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” Thor laughed, although it did not reach his eyes, “you’ve always loved those stories as a child. It must be a good thing.”

“And you always loved the glorious stories of our grandfather, the mighty Bor,” Loki smirked, “congratulations that you now look like him.”

They both laughed, more genuinely this time. _How I miss his laughs and sarcasm,_ Thor thought.

“So what happened?” Loki tilted his head, asking tentatively.

Thor understood immediately what he was asking about. “Hmmm where do I start?” He mumbled, “when did you start messing with infinity stones?” _When did you diverge from the Loki I knew?_

“I was sent to Earth to retrieve the Tesseract for…for Thanos. After you and your rabble put a stop to that,” Loki pursed his lips curtly, “I took hold of the Tesseract in some chaos and ran with it until the TVA caught up with me.”

 _Just like what Steve said. “_ So much, so much happened,” Thor tried, “you returned to Asgard with me, and then…then the dark elves…they killed mother.” A sharp inhale. “After we took her revenge I spent some time on earth, thinking you dead. And…and then I found out that you were alive and we also had a sister. But father was already gone.” Another inhale as the other gaped at his words. “We had to destroy Asgard to save the universe from our sister. So what’s remained of Asgard boarded a ship and sailed towards Earth. And then…” He tried again. “And then…then,” his voice broke and he could not continue.

“Thanos.” Loki said quietly.

Struggling with his emotions, Thor nodded. Covering one half of his face with one hand, he pointed at his forehead with the other, gesturing Loki to read his memory.

Putting a gentle hand on his forehead, Loki did what he asked. Thor watched with the visitor as the most unexpected scenes appeared in the latter’s mind. _Hundreds of Asgardians, mostly women and children, crowded on the deck of a spaceship floating silently in the vast nothingness. Heimdall’s brows were furrowed as his eyes pierced into the dark. Small infants were crying for food. Healers were shouting for help. There was no sign of Frigga or Odin, or many of the people that he once called friends. He and Loki curled up on the same bed in a small cabin, conversing, touching, kissing…_

 _A large shadow fell through the main deck window. Bodies lay motionless on the ground. Heimdall’s golden eyes became glassy as his hands stopped moving._ Thor watched the other Loki approach Thanos with a dagger and deceit. He listened to his brother saying “I, Loki Odinson, prince of Asgard.” He saw that his brother was hanged up in the air, that the trickster’s face went colorless and body went stiff. He heard his own muffled cry as everything dissipated into debris.

Loki collapsed against the sofa, seemingly unable to process these many events all at once. _What were the thoughts running through his mind, horror, confusion, disgust, love?_

Sound of the waves passed through the window. Some wild animals caused a soft rustle in the woods. The waning moon was falling. It was going to be morning soon. Thor felt a sudden exhaustion as he relaxed in his brother’s company.

“Will you stay?” He heard himself asking.

A sigh. “I am not the Loki that you loved” was the answer.

“No?” Thor looked deeply into the other’s wide eyes, “have I not loved you when you were a toddler in mother’s arms, when I taught you to walk? Have I not loved you when we spent the long years in lessons, fights and hunt trips? Have I not loved you when I tried to convince you to go home with me in New York? All I need is you. A shadow of you. A dream made of you. Any you.”

“Brother,” he heard Loki say, and felt a slender hand caressing his face, long fingers wiping off his tears. Thor looked to the visitor with hope.

“I cannot stay.”

 _Oh._ That was all it took, for a glass that was glued together from a thousand broken pieces to re-shatter. _Of course. It was all but a dream._ “I…I thank you for coming here,” he struggled, and looked even more lifeless than before. In the dim moonlight he appeared like an over-inflated balloon. “Truly, I would have traded a lifetime to look at you again, to spend a little time like this.”

“As do I.” Loki said quietly.

A little smile finally reaching the corner of his eyes, Thor continued, afraid that time might be running out, “it is nice that I got the chance to say those words. For days and nights millions of things crossed my mind. Things that I should not have said. Things that I should have said. I thought that I might be extremely lucky, to get another chance, another miracle. So that I can do it properly this time. Treat you properly.” He smiled sadly, “even though this time is short, and the next day is long.”

The moon sank lower to the horizon. “You know what?” Said Loki, trying to sound hopeful, “I think I might have observed some Aesir seidr energy near Andromeda M110, about six weeks into the future in this timeline.”

“Are you saying?” Thor asked tentatively, not willing to surrender to hope so quickly.

“I know my own work.”

_Oh! Even with a small chance…_

“And I wish you the best of luck, should you be interested.” Said the trickster cheerfully.

“Thank you, brother.”

Thor felt his hands and feet were getting warmer. He watched the the sky getting lighter with Loki comfortably sitting beside him. The sun is about to rise. _The sun will shine on us again._

“Did Jane dump you?” Asked that little bastard.

“No, I dumped her!” He argued, “it was a mutual dumping!”

“Of course it was.” The little bastard chuckled.

Thor laughed with him. _Of course it was. How could a relationship like that work out, when your heart heals and bleeds again and again for another? How could it work when you realized that the most important person to you has left you in this world?_ As the horizon became brighter, he had a feeling that the moment was ending, and that Loki was leaving. _Just a little more time, please._

“So what did Odin say, exactly?” His Loki asked.

The sky was eventually completely bright. Sea gulls flew by with a lot of fluttering noise. Thor’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and his head became too slow. “He said that he loved his sons.” His limbs became feeble, and he let himself be dragged onto a soft bed. He felt that someone tugged the comforter over his body, and a kiss was placed on his forehead.

Oblivion.

When Thor woke from his bed, it was afternoon already. Bright, warm sunlight from the west spread on his sheets. It had been a sound, dreamless sleep. Thor put on his sunglasses, paced outside his cottage and asked Valkyrie for a phone call with the Guardians.

“What do you want, Lebowski?” Quill’s voice came through.

“Well, in case you are in need of intergalactic directions,” Thor said shamelessly, “I could jump onboard. You know, help you out.”

“And we are the galaxy’s elite navigators and protectors. We have intergalactic directions, amply. Thank you very much.”

“What are you talking about?” Said another voice in the background. _Sounds like Drax. “_ We are a band of pirates. He’s an angel. Together we will be pirate angels.”

“Please, angel man onboard.” Pleaded Mantis.

“Yeah, get that lost dude on here.” That was Rocket.

“I am Groot.”

“Alright you can travel with us. For the record, **I** **am** **the captain**.”


	2. Chapter 2

Time Variance Authority, Distant Future

Six months, thirty-two missions. _By the Norns, this place is a disaster._ Loki stepped down the elevator and entered the dull, brass-colored halls. _No wonder they use clones to replace the deprecated ones._ _A sadistic bureaucracy is what it is_ , he thought as he passed the giant faces of the three creators. He knew how bureaucracies worked, or how any other institution worked. He understood the inner thoughts of the leaders and their minions. He could thrive at any such organization, and easily destroy one if he wanted to. _A thousand years at Asgardian and Vanir councils did not count for nothing._ He did not want to be too complacent, but what Thor said was true: he could thrive at the worst places. He’d read Machiavelli with a laugh. And if such matters interested him someday, he might actually went for a presidential campaign.

 _But no time to play those cards yet,_ He judged. The missions had not bored him, and he’d be happy to stay out of jail for now. He also valued the chance to travel the multi-verse and place influence on people throughout history. Since his youth Loki had spent a great deal of time exploring the secret pathways in the nine realms. Excitements ran through him when the door to new worlds opened. Not to mention the tricks he could play on people. Anything or anyone really, as long as it does not alter the fabric of reality. It gave him an immense sense of power.

But there’s more to that. The events he went through, and the people that he met granted him new experiences and even new sentiments. He could feel himself being changed somehow, as if neurons at the back of his head reshaped or something, making him express feelings a shade differently or shed tears at scenarios he normally wouldn't do. He didn’t hate it yet.

A couple of times, he had chance meetings with other versions of Thor or himself. The brothers turned out to be disturbers in almost every universe. One always causing chaos, another trying to amend, they fought, united, and fought, and canceled out each other’s work all the time. But how to help it? Satisfaction was not in his nature, nor was surrender in Thor.

Except for this Loki and this Thor. Earlier that morning the ever so noxious Mobius M. Mobius found him in his room. “I need you to take a look at Earth 616 in 2023,” the TVA manager said, “it’s a wibbly wobbly mess there. You can’t imagine what kind of destructive influence it had on the reality itself, and on us. Anyhow, I need you to make sure that only one Nebula existed in that timeline. How you do it could be flexible, but don’t change anything else.” As Loki made ready through the transport portal, he added, “if you have some extra time, drop in this place called Tonsberg, Norway. I think you might be interested.”

Now he knew where that last sentence came from. “Interested” was an understatement: He was shaken. He never thought Thor could be tactical and eloquent; at the same time, he never thought Thor could be desperate and broken. This Thor had flooded him with emotions. When he swam by, he couldn’t help but be drawn into a whirl of sadness. It was unsettling to say the least. And what a memory to behold! What a difficult situation they had been in on that run down, over-crowded ship! And yet how comfortable and complete they were with each other! He felt being smashed by the Hulk when Thor cried over their inevitable tragic separation.

Lost in thoughts for a few moments, Loki realized that he was already in the lobby that led to Mobius’s office. Taking a deep breath, he tried to clear his mind and prepare for the mission report as he pushed through the door.

“Ah, about time!” Exclaimed Mobius, “you have a visitor!”

 _That must be Gná,_ Loki thought. One of Frigga’s handmaids, she bore the power to transcend all worlds. On a horse called Hofvarpnir, she was able to travel over clouds and seas. Growing up by Frigga’s side, Loki had been intrigued by the twelve goddesses who swore allegiance to the All-Mother. Sjofn, who had the same honey blonde hair as his mother, and Gná, who could travel the worlds, were his favorite elder friends as a child.

Gná was Frigga’s messenger. Twice she had visited already, bearing soup and books to him from his mother and informing him of recent incidents in Asgard. _More Books to while away the dull nights then,_ he laughed quietly as he wend his way to the visitor lounge. _Clones and insects do not have visitors,_ this thought came to his mind every time he walked into the bare, monotonous room, _I wonder why they bother._ With walls the same khaki color as the TVA uniform, the _lounge_ was empty except for one bronze-ish table. No chairs. _It does work to make conversations short,_ he thought.

Two sided automatic doors opened, and the sole visitor there was revealed. Golden blonde hair, bright blue eyes, toned arms and hands holding a basket of stuff, broad shoulders half covered by a dark cloak, it was Thor, his own Thor.

Loki’s steps faltered. Unexplainable feelings, warm and uncontrollable, rose from his chest. He felt his eyes moisten. _What is happening to me?_

“Loki?” Asked Thor concernedly, dropping the basket immediately and taking a step forward, “what is it?”

“I need a hug.” Strong arms enveloped his shoulders the very next instant. One large coarse hand rested on the back of his neck, and the other anchored on the back behind his heart. His could hear Thor letting out a long relieved breath next to his ear. Something in his stomach, that was floating in the air, finally landed. Loki put his proud head on the shoulder before him and closed his eyes. He sensed a slight tremble of the other body as he did so. The fabric of the cloak felt soft under his chin, and golden tresses tickled his ear. He decided to bury his face into the supporting shoulder and breath in. It smelled fresh. it smelled like sunshine. It smelled like home.

Loki stayed in that warm embrace for a few minutes, before straightening his back and letting Thor pull away. “Better?” His brother asked, eyes twinkling.

He nodded. “Where were you?” _Where were you for the last six months? Were you worried when I was transported away?_

“Everywhere, Midgard, Nornheim, Ria, Vaneheim, and Asgard” said the Thunder God, “with the Bifrost broken and the Tesseract lost, I had no means to find you, nor to return to Asgard. I was stranded on Midgard for three months, until the man of iron discovered a way to travel through time via the quantum realm. With that I was able to obtain the Tesseract from the past, fix the Bifrost before returning it to its original timeline.”

 _Oh!_ But there was no blame or anger on Thor’s facial expression.

 _“_ I heard from mother that TVA had caught up with you. I would have been here sooner, but then the nine realms were in chaos. We had to settle unrests in different worlds. Vaneheim was the last stop,” Thor paced towards the basket that he brought, “when the worlds are finally at peace, and it was time to go home for Yuletide.”

“Is it Yuletide already? I must have lost sense of time in this place.” Commented Loki.

“We just finished the wild hunt. Does not feel the same without you,” Thor said, uncovering the insides of the basket, “I brought you… teeth of the beast that I killed. I remember you used to brew potions or do experiments with these. And…apples from Idunn’s garden. And then mother insisted that I brought this — honey mead bread — I believe she spent days perfecting the recipe. And you know, different food that she thought you might like.”

“Oh mother. Always thinking that I am still that little boy in her care.” Loki curled his lips, feeling torrents of warmth flow through his heart.

“I’m afraid we all do sometimes,” his brother replied. Thor leaned his elbow awkwardly against the table, as if struggling to say the next words, “you know, the Nornheim ambassador gifted a book of prophecies and guardian demons the other day. Father summoned a guard to send it to your room at once… before,” he started pacing, “before he realized that you don’t live there anymore.”

Thor stopped, and cast his clear eyes at Loki unsurely. But Loki pursed his lips, not willing to respond.

“So how’s this place? How are your missions?” Thor tried to change the topic.

Loki walked slowly to Thor’s side and sat down on the table. “Well, they keep me busy.”

“Loki,” Thor said concerned, sitting down at well, “you looked unwell when you came in. Have they treated it you ill?”

“It’s not that,” Loki looked down at his laced fingers, feeling Thor’s inquisitive look beside him. “I was sent to Earth in another timeline today. I met someone.” A sigh. “I met you.”

“Oh?”

“A different you,” a look of disturbance furrowed his brows, “drunk, mellow, self-abandoned in a fishing village in Midgard. When I met him, he had lost everything. Family, people, Mjölnir,” Thor chuckled lightly. “Me.”

“Loki,” Thor tried, sincerely, “It must have been hard.”

“Not that much for me. He was beyond ecstatic when I showed myself. He asked me to stay,” Thor looked uneasily at his brother, but Loki continued, “I couldn’t.”

“What did you do?” Thor asked.

“I lied,” Loki tried his best to sound uncaring, “I told him that they were traces of Aesir seidr in his time, which led him to believe there was another Loki alive in that timeline.”

“Were there not?” The Thunder God asked sympathetically.

“There were,” Loki said with eyes downcast, “but there are other sorcerers on Asgard. Could be anyone. And I don’t leave traces.”

“Loki,” placing a warm hand on his brother’s elbow, Thor looked at Loki earnestly, “I can’t imagine what the other guy went through. I can’t feel that extent of suffering as such fate has not befallen on me. Thank the Norns for it. But I would need that faith, even if it is a lie. I would need to believe that you are alive somewhere in this universe, should everything fall apart from me.”

“Thank you.” They smiled at each other for the first time since Thor went into Exile on Earth.

“How’s Jane?” Loki asked suddenly.

“Jane’s good,” Thor began, “she’s busy, you know, doing her research and smart ideas. That’s why she couldn’t be in Asgard… with me… for Yuletide.”

“I see,” Loki said blankly. A little bit of silence.

“And we spent three months together while I was stranded on earth,” Thor stumbled, “day in and day out. We didn’t have that much in common truly.”

“Well,” Loki grinned, patting on Thor’s arm lightly, “there will be other admirers, brother. No need to worry. If there aren’t others, I’m sure Thrym will always take you back.”

“Stop it!” Thor laughed heartily.

Sitting side by side, the two disturbers of the universe took out some of the food that Frigga prepared from the basket. Bickering and laughing about nothings, they failed to notice that the pile of food beside them grew smaller and smaller. Hours passed without their awareness.

“Brother,” Thor said, as he began to head out, “I know we had our fights and fallouts. I have been cross with you. I have been dismissive of you. But never doubt that I love you.”

“Thank you.”

Doors opened.

“And Thor?”

“Hmmm?”

“Send my regards to mother and…” _He said he loved his sons. “_ And him.”

“I will.”

Doors closed.


	3. Chapter 3

Andromeda M110, 2023

“What took you so long, brother?” She mocked.

THE END


End file.
